Tag Archives: uncategorized

Economist Paul Krugman in today's New York Times takes a closer look at Libertarian views about 'freedom'. Millions of American children, for instance, make the 'bad choice' of being born to to poor parents– should taxpayers bail them out? So would people on the right be willing to let those who are uninsured through no fault of their own die from lack of care? The answer, based on recent history, is a resounding “Yeah!” Think, in particular, of … Read More

Since I don’t have the time and wherewithal to write good stuff like this, for now, please read what Duane has said so well!

Here's the way some future historian might describe our times: Millions were still unemployed; lavish government expenditures had not restored prosperity; the budget was unbalanced, and the national debt was mounting; taxes and government restrictions alarmed businessmen; many conservatives saw constitutional government in danger. There were signs also of restiveness in Congress. That future historian was Eugene Roseboom writing in 1957—about th … Read More

I wrote this paragraph yesterday about the Obama-Boehner Speechgate issue: The unprecedented flap over the date Mr. Obama will give his now too-hyped jobs speech before a joint session of Congress is merely the latest in a long string of indignities heaped upon him. Since January of 2009, these pale-faced Republicans have been shouting to this uppity Negro: “You may have won the White House, boy, but you ain’t gonna run things around heah.” It t … Read More

I don't much care for Paul Greenberg's opinions, as regular readers of this blog know. It's not that he is a horrible writer or undeserving of his Pulitzer Prize. He's a very fine writer and Columbia University is free to pass out Pulitzers to whomever it wants, especially to one who apparently was willing in the 1960s to defend civil rights in a most uncivil part of the country, the South. There' s just something about his tone, call it Arkansa … Read More

A commenter on my post, "The Socialist Capital Of Missouri: Joplin," wrote: I would submit the idea that Christ would be in favor of socialism! It so happens that Gregory Paul, who knows a little something about sociological research, wrote a piece for The Washington Post a few days ago that addressed the Jesus-as-socialist idea. In fact, Paul went further and questioned "a set of profound contradictions" that "have developed within modern conser … Read More

The most conservative member of the House of Representatives—a teapartier's teapartier—is a congressman from Colorado, Doug Lamborn. Mr. Lamborn, showing little respect for the President of the United States, referred to Mr. Obama as a "tar baby." Here is the context: Even if some people say, ‘Well the Republicans should have done this or they should have done that,’ they will hold the President responsible. Now, I don’t even want to have to be … Read More

Whatever you may have thought of the late Amy Winehouse or her music, surely we can all agree that Congressman Ozark Billy's willingness to use the English singer's sad death to make a stupid political point is going too far, even for a Tea Party Republican: Here is how London's Daily Mail reported this embarrassing episode: A Republican congressman has faced a furious backlash after he compared the U.S. debt ceiling crisis to the tragic demise … Read More

"The cameras may leave. The spotlight may shift. But we will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored. We’re not going anywhere. That is not just my promise; that’s America’s promise.” —Barack Obama, Joplin, Mo., May 29, 2011 There are lots of great pictures of Barack Obama's inspirational visit to Joplin on Sunday, but I just want to post one that I think captures much about Mr. Obama and the residents hit hardest by the tornad … Read More